The first Ballarat Highlands Bowls Division women’s novice singles champion admits she “has been bitten by the bowls bug”.
A veteran state basketballer at the highest level, Amanda Rayner took out the novice final with a 21-7 victory against Romsey’s Elizabeth Taylor.
Rayner only took up bowls due to the void in sports events following the COVID pandemic.
She said the love affair with bowls began in 2021 when she was driving past Diggers Rest Bowling Club with partner Paul Robinson. They are pleased they stopped.
“What started off for us has turned into a sporting passion where we both wan to get better and play bowls all the time,” she said.
At Diggers Rest, the newcomers received plenty of helpful advice and have made considerable progress with tuition from David and Tricia Odgers.
The novice finals were played at Webbcona in Ballarat.
Rayner and Robinson are keen to play in district tournaments at other clubs and see how far they can go in the sport.
